The Culture of Social Media without the Platforms; Mind = Blown

It’s a very busy time for my business and yesterday included a marathon of meetings right in a row (six!). Right in the middle, we met with a prospective client.

Now, Jaggers Communications offers the full suite of communications services from public relations to brand positioning to social media strategy, but often client conversations begin with learning about social media (it is a specialty of our firm). One of the people we met with shared his complete lack of use and knowledge of social media. He’s not engaged in any way online and hasn’t had an interest in doing so personally, even though he understands it’s important for his business to begin to seriously look at digital communications and how they should be used.

Then, he went on about his business philosophy, about how he prefers to serve clients, to interact with partners, to collaborate and nurture a culture of transparency within his organization.

And then my brain exploded.

Everything he said is exactly the culture that social media has established and worked to grow. It’s precisely where bloggers hoped business would evolve when it became impossible to hide behind a curtain of complacency. But it wasn’t the culture online that drove this man’s business values; it’s how his company has done business since the 1970s, long before blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

It was so refreshing, and so very exciting for me to meet with someone who “got it” before the technical aspects were even brought into the discussion. In fact, the words we use to talk about the tactics of social media are almost irrelevant. They’re tools to get us to the goals we make. The framework and quality are there; the genuine stories and rich culture exist; we have the honor of helping the business share them online.

Sometimes my work makes me giddy.

Marijean

Marijean Oldham (Jaggers), a social media specialist and public relations professional, is president and CEO of Jaggers Communications LLC, a strategic communications firm based in Charlottesville, Va.

Recent Posts

The Value of a Fresh Pair of Eyes

A client told us a horror story from her previous job. The team was preparing…

3 years ago

Marketers: Be Mindful of Mother’s Day

There's an opportunity to earn respect and brand recognition through offering NOT to contact customers…

3 years ago

2021 in Review: From a Beer Brewed to Pair with Duke’s Mayo to Leadership Changes

As we begin the eleventh year of business for Jaggers Communications, I can't help but…

3 years ago

When Should Your Organization Conduct a Marketing Audit?

There are a few key stages in which a marketing audit can best benefit your…

3 years ago

In Crisis Communications, Transparency is Key

The worst messages in a crisis are those that are vague, provide incomplete information, and…

4 years ago

It’s Time to Adopt Gender Neutral Language in Business

On January 6, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to adopt gender-neutral language in…

4 years ago